NHRC summons Odisha chief secretary

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has summoned the Odisha chief secretary for failing to submit a report on the problems faced by patients and Ayush doctors in the state, a petitioner said on Saturday.

"Such doctors are being forced to prescribe allopathic medicines although they are not trained for that," India Media Centre managing trustee and human rights activist Akhanda, who filed the complaint, told a news agency.

Ayurvedic and Unani medical practitioners are called Ayush doctors.

The NHRC asked Chief Secretary BK Patnaik to appear before it personally at its office in New Delhi on June 16 along with the requisite report.

The human rights organisation acted on a complaint lodged by the IMC on January 19. The government has engaged Ayush doctors in over 1,300 state-run primary health centres.

More than 300 health centres do not have any allopathic doctors and in their absence the Ayush doctors have been providing such treatments putting the lives of the patients in danger, Akhanda alleged.

"Despite sufficient time and opportunity having been given, the requisite report has not been received. In these circumstances, let summons be issued for the personal appearance of the chief secretary... before the commission," the panel said in its order.